Canada close in on World Cup with Germany win

The scoreboard at the end read Canada 29, Germany 10, but the game rested on a knife edge until well into the final quarter. Gordon McRorie’s 72nd minute try gave Canada the bonus point and in doing so puts the team just one competition point shy of qualifying for the World Cup, with a match against Hong Kong on Friday the final hurdle.

Canada dominated territory and possession in the first half, putting relentless pressure on Germany but just struggling to get the final pass to stick. McRorie sent over a penalty goal to give them something to start with and then at last it was Lucas Rumball who made it through for the first try.

Near the half-hour mark Germany finally grabbed the ball and made it count quickly. A lineout drive put them close and Dasch Barber, on as a temporary replacement for Kurt Haupt, reached ahead from a ruck just a meter out to touch the line and lift his team to within three points at the break.

A misjudged restart handed Canada an immediate opportunity to score and they took full advantage. Tyler Ardron powered through two defenders to touch down and Germany were suddenly two scores behind and in danger of letting the game slip away.

To their relief Canada obliged with their own mistake, giving Germany an attacking scrum. After several phases Canada conceded a penalty in the tackle and Raynor Parkinson landed the routine kick to bring it back to a one-score game.

With momentum tipping back into Germany’s favor a moment of ill-discipline cost them dearly. Germany won a turnover and earned a lineout in Canadian territory, but Julius Nostadt’s overzealous shove on Theo Sauder off the ball instead earned him a penalty and a talking-to.

It proved a catastrophic error. Within moments Germany had conceded another penalty and were on a team warning. Canada piled into the black wall and eventually Matt Evans went over for a decisive score. McRorie’s effort made it a five-point victory and Germany’s World Cup door has been closed for at least another four years.

While it was a team effort, the Canadian forwards deserve special praise for facing the battle head on and committing themselves for a full 80 minutes. It was a performance that brought a smile to the face of Jamie Cudmore, the former skipper witnessing the absorbing contest in person.

A losing bonus point against Hong Kong will be enough to put the team on the plane to Japan, but Canada will be dead set on achieving their elusive goal in style. On the evidence of Saturday’s match in Marseille few will bet against their ambition.

 

SCORING

CANADA 29
Tries – L. Rumball (22’), T. Ardron (42’), M. Evans (68’), G. McRorie (72’)
Cons – G. McRorie 3/4 (23’, 43’, 73’)
Pens – G. McRorie 1/1 (13’)

GERMANY 10
Tries – D. Barber (29’)
Cons – R. Parkinson 1/1 (30’)
Pens – R. Parkinson 1/1 (46’)

 

TEAMS

CANADA
1 Hubert Buydens (17 Djustice Sears-Duru 52’), 2 Ray Barkwill (16 Eric Howard 76’), 3 Matt Tierney (18 Jake Ilnicki 52’), 4 Mike Sheppard (19 Brett Beukeboom 62’), 5 Evan Olmstead, 6 Kyle Baillie (20 Matt Heaton 31’-HT), 7 Lucas Rumball (20 Matt Heaton 59’), 8 Tyler Ardron, 9 Phil Mack (capt.), 10 Gordon McRorie, 11 DTH van der Merwe (21 Jamie MacKenzie 76’), 12 Ciaran Hearn (22 Nick Blevins 73’), 13 Ben LeSage (23 Conor Trainor 73’), 14 Matt Evans, 15 Theo Sauder

GERMANY
1 Julius Nostadt (17 Matthias Schösser 59’), 2 Kurt Haupt (16 Dasch Barber 28’-35’, 73’), 3 Samy Füchsel (18 Jörn Schröder 59’), 4 Michael Poppmeier (capt.) (19 Timo Vollenkemper 69’), 5 Eric Marks, 6 Sebastian Ferreira, 7 Jaco Otto (20 Ayron Schramm 59’), 8 Jarrid Els, 9 Sean Armstrong (21 Tim Menzel 76’), 10 Raynor Parkinson, 11 Carlos Soteras-Merz, 12 Jamie Murphy, 13 Wynston Cameron-Dow (22 Hagen Schulte 50’), 14 Marcel Coetzee (23 Harris Aounallah 76’), 15 Christopher Hilsenbeck

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistants: Sara Cox (RFU) & Sean Gallagher (IRFU)
TMO: Graham Hughes (RFU)